Regenerative gas-furnace



Patented Deo. 2 3, 1884.

J. MORRISON.

RBGENERATIVB GAS PURNAGE.

Ellilmilm a i a//////////// (No Model.)

.en m u u 0N. ml \4 1 JOHN MORRISON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA..

HLGENERATIVE GASMFURNGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,643, dated Ilecember 23,1884.

ApplicationflledJune13, 1S84.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN MonnrsoN, oflittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State.

of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Regenerative Gas-Fun naces; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to furnaces used for puddli ng iron and heating and melting metals, glass, ttc., having reference to what are termed regenerative furnaces;77 and its special object is to improve the construction of these furnaces for burning natural gas. In these furnaces as heretofore constructed one regenerator was employed at each side of the furnace-bed, and the products ot'combustion were conducted down through one of the regenen ators, according to the direction of the draft, to iilues under the furnace leading to the stack, the natural gas being admitted at or near the bridge-walls of the furnace, and passing out either into the checkerwvorl; near the top thereof or melting and mingling with the heated air at the mouth of the regencrator. Practical experience has proven, however, that the heat and lanie generated often pass :from the bed into the generator, and the intense heat rapidly melts and burns out the el1ecker-work,and that the checker-work soon becomes clogged and choked and is necessarilyreplaeed. "Where the 'Ilues lead from the bottom of the regenerator to the stael ,as they pass under the regenerators they extend farther down under theiurnaee thauis desirable, and where these furnaces are built on ground made from the slag or scoria from the furnaces, as is often the case in city mills, the heat of the waste products passing through these ilues often ignites this slag and causes much trouble and in some cases conlagra tions. llo overcome these objections, and to further improve the construction of these furnaces, I have provided them with vertical flues extending down from the furnace-chamber to the base of the regenerators,and lues leading from the top of the regenerators to the stack, sothat the heated products of combustion pass down these ilucs and rise up through the rcgenerators,and thence to the stack, so that the tlame and intense heat of the products of combustion are exhausted before entering the re (No model.)

generators, and consequently the rapid burning out of the regenerators is prevented. 1' have alsoarranged the gas-entrances in these downwardlyextending ilues so that the gas passes into the air rising through the flues and becomes thoroughly intermingled therewith before entering the furnace-chamber. I have also carried the flue leading from the regenerator at the end opposite the stack back of the heating-chamber, this flue being inclosed Within the walls ofthe furnace and under the same roof between the buclzstaves and under the binders.

To enable ot-hers skilled in the art to make and use my invent-ion, l will describe its construction and operation.

nIn the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longit-udinal section ou the line l l, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section through the furnacechamber; and Fig. et is a cross-section of the regenerator at the end opposite the stack.

Like letters oi' reference indicate like parts in each.

The furnace illustrated is -for puddling or boiling purposes, having the furnace bed or chamber c, provided with the working-door b, the bed being supported on the chill-plate c', and having the chills ai in the wallsthereof'.

At each end oil' the chamber c is the vertical flue c, communicating with the chamber through the neck d, over the bridge cl. This flue c extends a short distance below the floorlevcl, its base being generally about two feet below the ground-level, and this being the lowest point ofthe furnace.

In the bridge-wall ds formed the chamber or pocket c, through which the perllorated gassupply pipe c passes, the chamber communi eating with the llue c through the horizontal gas-entrance e. The chamber is about ten inches deep, and the gaspipe rests on the base thereof, so that the gas iills the chamber, and is forced in a solid stream across the air rising through the ilue c and more thoroughly mingles therewitlnkand the pipe is protected from the heat of the waste products passing through the flue.

lzeyond the ilues c, at the ends of the fur IOO 6o sufficient to draw in the air.

nace, are the air-regenerators f, corresponding substantially in depth' to the fines c, and communicating at the base with said flues through the ports y, the regenerators being 5 built within the furnace-walls and under the same roof, and the furnace being thus compact, occupying but little space. rIhe checker-work 7L is supported in these regenerators in any suitable manner, being generally built 1o kon tile t, supported on offsets h2, and extending across the regenerators above the ports y. The regenerators are lled with checker-work close to the top thereof, and leading from one side or end at the top are the flues k, leading r 5 to the stack through the ordinary flap-valve. The flap-valve (not shown) is supported on the furnace between one regenerator and the stack, and the flue k of that regenerator communicates directly with said. Valve. The flue 7V' of 2o the opposite regenerator leads into the horizontal liuc Z, which extends along the back` of the furnace between the chamber a and the back plates or buckstaves m to the flap-valve at the stack end of the furnace. rIhis flue Z is thus inclosed within the walls of the furnace, instead of being carried underground under or at the side of the furnace, and it can be so inclosed without materially increasing the width of the furnace. The flue Z is covered by 3o the roof n of the furnace, and is under the binders t of the buckstaves, so that it may be bound firmly together. This roof n extends over the entire furnace, the parts over the regenerators being bound together by clamps, if

so desired.

When the 4furnace is in operation, the air passes through the flap-valve into the flue la, thence down through the regenerator f to the base thereof, and up through the vertical flue 4o c to the furnace-chamber, the gas being forced through the gas-entrance e across the heated air as it is drawn up through the flue and iningled therewith, and the gas and air forming combustion in the furnace-chamber. The flame and heated products then pass through thel neck d, and down through the flue c at the opposite end of the furnace, entering the regenerator at the base and rising through it. It then passes through the flue 7c into the flue Z,

5o and through that flue back ofthe furnace-chamber tothe flap-valve and the stack. On reversing the furnace the air passes through the flues Z and k, down throughfthe regenerator, and up through the flue c at that end of the furnace, and, mingling with the gas, into the furnace-chamber, and the flame and heated products pass through the flue c, regenerator f, and flue k to the stack. rlhe furnace operates without blast, the draft of the stack being The llame and intense heat are thus exhausted in the downwardly-extending flue c, and though at a high heat when passing through the regenerator they are not hot enough to melt or burn out the checker-work, so that the checker-work lasts from three to 'live times as long. If the intense heat melts down the walls of the flue c, the melted fire-brick runs down to the base of the flue and gathers there with the soot, red oxide of iron, duc., and is removed through a small pit at the side of the base of said flue. As the waste products rise through the regeneratorthere is no liability of the checker-work being clogged by this soot, red oxide of iron, Sto., the square faces of the checker-brick breaking the current and causing them to drop back into the base of the regenerator, where they can be removed, and consequently the checker-work remains clean, and the full absorbing and heating surface is always exposed to the waste products and air passing through it. The melting of the walls of the flue c cannot choke the regenerator, as in the ordinary Siemens regenerator, because it cannot flow from the flue into the checker-work. The return-flue along the baci; of the furnacechamber occupies but little room, and is much more direct than the underground lue-this being important in. draftfurnacesand it avoids the necessity of having any part ot' the furnace far under ground, the lowest point of the furnace being two feet below lthe floorlevel, and the furnaces can be built on ground made from slag without fearof igniting it. As the ilues are all above ground, they can be more easily cleaned and repaired. lIhe gas pockets or chambers are so constructed as to protect the gas-pipes and deliver the gas in a manner to cut and intermingle with the incoming air. rflic furnace is compact, being entirely inclosed between the buckstaves and under the binders, and hence but little heat is lost by radiation.

I have described the furnace as used with natural gas, but it is evident that some of the improvements can be employed where the gas is generated and fed to the furnace, and these are included as within my invention.

I am aware that in Letters Patent to Reese, No. 240,845, dated May 3, 1881, is shown a furnace in which the products of combustion enter the regenerators at the base, and therefore do not claim this, broadly; but in that furnace the llame and products of combustion pass directly into the regenerators, the regenerators extending above the roof, the products of combustion passing up and down within IOO IIO

the regenerators, and consequently none of the advantages of exhausting the flame and high heat of the products of combustion before entering the regenerators are obtained, and the checker-work at the base of the regenerators Would melt or burn out rapidly, and the weight of the checker-work on the lower courses compact them, and so render the regenerators inoperative.

I am also aware that in Letters Patent to Springer, No. 263,985, September 5, 1882, is shown apparatus for the manufacture of watergas, in which regenerators are arranged on each side of a Vertical combustion-chamber filled with carbonaceous material, vertical fines being arranged between the chamber of the regenerators and communicating with the chamber at different heights. In this apparatus, however, the principal course of the flame and heat is through the base of the combustion-cha1nber, and thence directly into the base of the regenerators, the carbonaceous inatterin the upper part ofthe combustion` chamber being simply eoked and not reaching` a high heat. p

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

l. A regenerative furnace for metallurgie purposes, having a furnace or Working-chainber, an air-regenerator at each end of the furnace and inclosed under the saine roof with the Working-chamber, and a vertical fine 3. In combination with the furnace-chamber a, bridge d, and vertical iiue c, the pocket e, having the horizontal gas-entrance c2, and I the gas-supply pipe e at the base thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In regenerative furnaces, the combina` tio1i,with the regeuerator7 of the fiue columnnicatiug with the top of the regenerator and extending back ofthe furnace-chamber to the stack, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In regenerative furnaces, the flue Z, comiuunicating with one regenerator, at the top thereof and extending back of the furnacechamber to the stack at the opposite end of the furnace, said flue being inclosed within the furnace-Walls and under the saine roof with the furnace-chamber, substantially as 'and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN MonnisoN, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN MORRISON.

1Witn esses II. T. Monms, .I N. CooKn. 

